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The Lived Experiences of Adventist Pastors - results from the Global Adventist Pastors Survey
No full textThis paper is a preliminary report on the lived experience of pastors in local Seventh-day Adventist Churches as it is revealed in their responses to the Global Adventist Pastors’ Survey. Some of the differences in the way pastors experience their work in the different Divisions of the Seventh-day Adventist Church are explored
Our Shared Responsibility: Protecting the Earth
No full textJoin neurobiologist and naturalist Dr. Gordon Atkins and professor Dr. Rahel Wells as they share their perspectives on our collective responsibility towards the environment. Discover insightful discussions on what it means to care for our home planet and learn practical, easy ways to take action. Tune in to gain valuable insights and be inspired to make a positive impact on the world around us
Understanding Emerging Adult Mental Health and Attachment: The Roles of Parental Factors in Childhood, Trauma, and Gender
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The experience of the parental environment growing up, parental psychopathology in childhood, exposure to trauma throughout the lifespan, insecure adult attachment, and social support have been established as factors that influence mental health in adulthood. These factors have not yet been studied together as a complex model of emerging adult mental health and attachment. The purpose of this study was to develop a theoretically and empirically supported model of these factors to understand how these factors interact to influence mental health in emerging adulthood. Additionally, the purpose was to understand if these factors interact differently based on gender.
Method
Survey data was collected from 411 emerging adults (ages 18-29) males and females, which measured their (a) parental environment growing up, (b) level of parental psychopathology seen in childhood, (c) perceptions of current social support, (d) level of insecure adult attachment, and (e) current mental health (depression, anxiety, and stress). Structural equation modeling was used to test an exploratory model that included the direct effects of these factors on mental health and the indirect effect of the parental environment, parental psychopathology, and trauma mediated through insecure adult attachment. A multigroup analysis was conducted to examine if the model operated equivalently between genders.
Results
As an exploratory study, the hypothesized model was revised for a good model fit for the data. Multicollinearity issues suggested the parent-related factors were better measured as one latent parental factor. The revised model revealed parental factors and trauma explained 40% of the variance of adult attachment and the total model accounted for 66% of the variance of mental health among emerging adults (p \u3c .001). All direct and indirect effects were initially supported but the multigroup analysis revealed that the model did not operate equivalently between genders. Trauma had a notable influence on attachment and mental health, regardless of gender. Parental factors had a notable influence on mental health for both genders but did not influence female attachment. Parental factors also had a statistically stronger influence on male mental health. Attachment directly influenced mental health and partially mediated the influence of trauma on mental health, but only for females. Social support played a minor role in female mental health, but played no role for males.
Conclusions
The current study confirmed that past formative experiences and current relational experiences impact mental health in emerging adulthood. Experiences of trauma, conflict with parents growing up, and parental psychopathology in childhood have an especially strong influence on mental health in emerging adulthood. This study highlights that the relationships between these factors vary based on gender. These results inform research regarding emerging adult attachment and mental health, as well as having implications for best practices when treating emerging adults struggling with depression, anxiety, or stress. Results inform beneficial targets for intervention or screening when working with both male and female emerging adult clients. Additionally, results inform beneficial areas for clinicians to seek additional training and areas of focus for preventative psychoeducation
The Processes, Events and Characteristics Associated with the Leadership Emergence of New Believers in the Contemporary Movement of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the United States
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The Seventh-day Adventist Church is confronting an unsettling reality in the 21st century. A considerable body of literature has highlighted an escalating attrition rate, with the \u27Ministry journal reporting in April 2019 that almost 50% of new converts eventually abandon their commitment (Thomas, 2019). Other data collected by the World Church through its Office of Research include statistics and archive information that confirm the losses (Knott, 2016; Trimm, 2023). After all the baptisms, membership transfers, professions of faith, and accessions, the worldwide Seventh-day Adventist Church is netting one new member per church per year. Since 1965, roughly 4 out of 10 new members have chosen to leave (2023). While the gathered information is staggering, we still do not fully understand the drivers behind the exits. Evidence suggests that whole conferences are impacted, and some might have to close due to the alarming sparseness of human capital (Thomas, 2019). Missiologists have also documented acknowledgment that many leaders have misinterpreted the Seventh-day Adventist Organization’s Mission (Höschele, 2004; Kuhn, 2016; Thomas, 2019). The result is a display of deep problems centered around the failure to cultivate tender relationships and inspire passions for discipleship. The trend to remain traditional in behaviors that are not working continues, leaving churches with few operational tools to confront the hemorrhaging damage with concrete nurturing and reclamation plans. So much is not known of the real-life religious experiences of the newly baptized members as they contend with the processes within their new environment. In addition, how they feel about their acclimation to church membership is not known. According to Ng (2013), church leaders have been slow to understand that these ordinary members are the chief assets of the faith community. Many have not focused on structure or practical ways to retain them.
Method
This research was designed as a generic qualitative, descriptive investigation. It carefully addressed a central question: What do new Seventh-day Adventist believers describe in their real-life church situation, including the processes, events, and characteristics of their leadership emergence? This rich, in-depth descriptive study aimed to understand how new converts of the Seventh-day Adventist Church made meaning of this situational phenomenon by finding answers to investigative questions. The exploration encompassed selected individuals, seeking their fire and zeal experiences or lack thereof, enhanced by their overall development and discipleship as leaders within the parameters of observing recurring patterns and themes. This qualitative study used data from semi-structured interviews to investigate the process of their development and subsequent selection into leadership roles (2023; D. Clandinin, Connelly, F., 2000). Ten individuals participated in this rigorous knowledge discovery of their direct experiences. The realities involved an in-depth investigation of a wide range of detailed information from each case under review. The importance of developing disciples, and understanding the lived experiences of the participants to discover the meaning they derive from these experiences brought worth to the study, and through the storytelling, true events were connected and explained (Chandler et al., 2015). The thoughtful and deliberate planning led to face-to-face interviews in a neutral setting. The study utilized the language and voice through texts that were derived from the interviews of each volunteer participant.
Results
The study results produced evidence of the difficulty of pastoral leaders acting in deliberate ways that showed they understood the religious landscape has been reshaped and the trend of new members exiting is real in the United States. Therefore, it is a daunting issue within the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Hard work and hard decisions must be made in this changing religious environment when it comes to leading. An intentional effort must be made to connect and involve new believers in growth opportunities that will give them a sense of belonging as they emerge as new Christian leaders within the family of God. The participants’ perspectives gave rise to experiences expressed through the context of the seven prevailing themes. In order of their prominence, they are Discipleship, Mentoring, Fellowship, Training, Ministry Service, Church Environment, and Length of Experience. Current research on leadership development of new members or newly baptized members also reports findings similar to those found in this study. These themes offer insight into what\u27s missing in many churches, including the Seventh-day Adventist Church, regarding helping new members adjust to the church\u27s membership and retention after joining. Additionally, after newly baptized members have been brought into the Church, it seems to not have a plan to develop them as leaders. This research sought to discover how to do both. That is the basis of this study.
Conclusion
The scope and importance of this real-life church situation is described by Ellen G. White (1911) who pointed out, “When the mind of man is brought into communion with the mind of God, the finite with the Infinite, the effect on body and mind and soul is beyond estimate. In such communion is found the highest education. It is God\u27s own method of development” (p.126). Therefore, the voices of the participants of this study are powerful because they give critical insight of their experienced journeys into leadership, unique from most other newly baptized Seventh-day Adventists primarily because of the discipling by their respective churches. WagenerSmith (2021) gives credence to the spiritual dilemma and challenges of growing new believers in leadership roles. He claims that “micro-shifts in the role of ministers” is necessary for competence in effectively identifying how to lead a “new group in their current reality” (p. 17). I believe that the biblical model needs to be restored, along with the early Adventist approach. The synoptic gospels unveil the twelve disciples of Jesus being sent out with divine authority to preach in their master’s name (Mark 3: 13-19). The spiritual urgency is to recreate that environment of Christian service; thereby, the new believers have a chance to become influencers of great significance in the work of salvation. I fully realize through discovery that the evolving religious landscape brings complicated spiritual issues to focus in the United States of America. The claim from many that we are a non-religious population, the cultural, and technological changes of the 21st century have created havoc or simply different conditions for contemporary Adventism; therefore, new believers have struggled to find their place within churches. This study sought to find solutions that offered a roadmap to transformative spiritual healthy experiences with God—the reason for the Seventh-day Adventist Church to be in existence. The participants delivered clear pictures of what was missing from receiving rich spiritual, engaging experiences. Accordingly, we need to create administrations that are equipped with knowledge and deep faith to pastor these ardent believers who have personally converted and are ready for discipleship
The Polyvalent Stone Laid Before Joshua in Zechariah 3:9: An Exegetical and Intertextual Study
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The imagery of “the one stone” laid before Joshua and the meaning of the related symbols and dynamics surrounding this object in Zech 3 remains an issue of scholarly debate. Although there are Hebrew Bible references and archaeological backgrounds to elucidate the object, they are found to be mutually conflicting or incomplete, suggesting the need for a methodological contribution to aid the investigation.
Methodology
The current study uses three independent methodological processes: (1) mining of data, (2) attribute-based theological evaluations of potential backgrounds, and (3) exegetical synthesis. These three processes can be viewed as independent or interdependent. As independent, they can be applied without regard to other processes. In this case, their results can be compared or merged. As interdependent, the processes are run in the sequence suggested by the current study, in which case the results of each method inform the synthesis performed at the following step. The current research utilizes both approaches—independent and interdependent—cumulatively by specifying which process generated which outcome before all outcomes are ultimately merged into a coherent picture. The first process—mining of data—includes conversion of the passage of interest to representative sets applied in the TextFabric searches within the ETCBC database. The second process— attribute-based theological evaluations of potential backgrounds—proposes formal criteria for identifying, filtering, merging, and interpreting applicable references. The third process—exegetical synthesis—allows the existing and new exegetical insights to be compared and combined with the integrative view generated in the second process. The final step is to synthesize the obtained results into a coherent message.
Results
The three processes described above yielded a “kaleidoscopic view”: a combination of four previously known backgrounds (1, 2, 5, 6) with two that are newly identified (3, 4). In order of priority, all of them are (1) the crushing stone in Dan 2, (2) the rejected stone in Ps 118, (3) the two tablets of the law in Exod 31, and (4) the ark of the covenant in 1 Chr 21–22, (5) the golden plate of the high priest in Exod 28–29; 39, and (6) the two onyx stones in Exod 28–29; 39. The additional independent exegetical analysis was related to that view and corroborated it. The final picture suggests the function of “the one stone” and the contents of the inscription written on it by God.
Conclusions
The inscription in Zech 3:9 emerged as a blend of the ten commandments, “the holiness to the Lord,” and the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. Thus, the meaning of “the stone” is theocentric—the divine eschatological plan for the returned exiles and “all the nations” and theanthropic—the revival of the covenantal relationship between YHWH and Israel as another opportunity for the nation to fulfill its universal mission
